EC’s own Mr. Brandon Wood, Senior Counterintelligence Analyst, lead a Tradecraft Thursday talk at Evans & Chambers’ DC office. Brandon’s topic, “Structured Analytical Methodologies” appealed to a cross-section of Team EC, including analysts and those that enrich analysis through tooling and other analytic enabling approaches.

Brandon’s talk focused on the various structured analytic methodologies and techniques used throughout the intelligence community, private sector, and academia. Techniques discussed help analysts challenge judgments, identify mental mindsets, stimulate creativity, and manage uncertainty throughout the intelligence production process. These techniques aide analysts in making confident assessments. Brandon began by discussing the fundamentals of various methodologies and techniques, and providing historical and notional scenarios in which the application of certain techniques may have altered the course of events. As the talk continued, Brandon opened the floor to questions and discussion, allowing the development of additional scenarios and further examination of the various methodologies and techniques. At the conclusion, the audience clearly demonstrated an understanding of structured analytical methodologies and were provided additional resources to enable continued research and drive professional development.

Tradecraft Thursday is a series of employee-led internal monthly talks dedicated to EC’s core value of continual learning. These talks aim to cover a broad range of professional topics to promote best practices and a shared understanding of common problem sets within our customer spaces. Stay tuned for the next Tradecraft Thursday recap!

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